Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Fentanyl, the strongest opiate medication on the market is being found on the streets today. Fentanyl is generally only prescribed to people with the severest of pain, patients with cancer, burn victims, and those who have had intensive surgery. Naturally, like all other opiate drugs, Fentanyl is being abused either by itself or it is being mixed with drugs like heroin to increase potency. The drug can be found in several different forms; from trans-dermal patches to lollipops there are multiple ways to consume Fentanyl. Every medical center in the country is at risk of having the medication stolen by patients or employees; drugs like Fentanyl need to be closely monitored to limit the amount that makes it to the streets. The drugs highly addictive properties has some people asking whether or not the drug should be restricted, which could make it very difficult for people who legitimately need the drug to acquire it.

Thaindian News reports, "some people have already started to distribute Fentanyl lollipops illegally. These illegal drugs uses the nickname, "perc-a-pop" and has become popular among a large number of people for its sweet taste. Though the price of the illegal drugs is double than the original drugs, number of people getting addicted to this drug is increasing. Not only people are using "perc-a-pop" but also some people who have been addicted to this drug have stolen them from medical centers, stated sources". Opiates have been known to be highly addictive and continued use will guarantee dependency. Drugs, like Fentanyl, have their place in society because the are highly effective for pain relief; however, if we continue to distribute these drugs we need to track them closely. Overdoses are common with strong opiates and many people do not understand how easy it is to take too much.

It will be interesting to see if drugs like Fentanyl will be heavily restricted in the near future.